Pixel Power: SABC takes Clarity on the road

Four Clarity graphics systems were recently delivered by Pixel Power to South African national broadcaster SABC, which is using them in outside broadcast trucks—matching the capabilities to its studios in Johannesburg which already have eight Clarity installations.

The common platform allows staff to “move freely between studios and remote operations, making operations more flexible and increasing opportunities for operators and artists to work on a wider range of programmes.”

The new Clarity units were installed in the OB trucks in time for coverage of the South African elections last May, allowing the broadcaster to use common templates across the whole of the output. The contract, negotiated by Pixel Power’s South African distributor, Zimele Broadcasting Solutions, included integration, training and development services alongside the supply of hardware and software.

“Clarity gives us creative freedom, but also simple and secure operation which is critical on a live outside broadcast,” said Mervin Buthelezi, technical manager for outside broadcasts at SABC. “We got fed up with borrowing a Clarity from the studios when we needed one, so we bought one for each of our big trucks.”